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The Turn of the Screw
Henry James' short novels provide an overview of his entire career and serve as an excellent introduction to his singular art and imagination. This collection includes The Turn of the Screw, Daisy Miller, The Beast in the Jungle, An International Episode, The Aspern Papers and The Altar of the Dead. Major course adoption potential.
72 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 27, 2023
This is one of the best pieces of horror theatre out there when done well. By having two characters perform this piece, it allows the actor of Miles to switch into and out of characters on a dime to really amp up the tension. Especially in the moment where Peter Quint is present. The use of narration allows for a wonderfully ambiguous set. Which lends itself to the ambiguity of Gothic horror. While the first act could run slow, the second act more than makes up for it with tense sequences and a finale I've not seen matched on stage since.
November 12, 2020
Really great two-hander. On my list of to-do's after Covid.
March 26, 2018
Genuinely scary and intriguing - would very much love to see this performed live.
Inevitably this was going to be compared in my head to The Woman in Black, one of my all-time favorite plays and certainly one of the scariest live shows I've ever seen. Hatcher's adaptation of The Turn of the Screw is very well-done, but based on the stage directions and notations I believe it may lack some of the same visceral scares (particularly as far as sound is concerned) of TWIB. Additionally, the ambiguous ending of this one (versus the very clear holy-cats ending of the other) puts it at a disadvantage...although to be honest I very much like how they ended this and thought the question was appropriate for the piece. This piece would definitely require two truly incredible actors and a bullseye lighting designer.
Good to read, likely much better to see performed live. I'll keep an eye out.
Inevitably this was going to be compared in my head to The Woman in Black, one of my all-time favorite plays and certainly one of the scariest live shows I've ever seen. Hatcher's adaptation of The Turn of the Screw is very well-done, but based on the stage directions and notations I believe it may lack some of the same visceral scares (particularly as far as sound is concerned) of TWIB. Additionally, the ambiguous ending of this one (versus the very clear holy-cats ending of the other) puts it at a disadvantage...although to be honest I very much like how they ended this and thought the question was appropriate for the piece. This piece would definitely require two truly incredible actors and a bullseye lighting designer.
Good to read, likely much better to see performed live. I'll keep an eye out.
April 29, 2014
This adaptation of The Turn of the Screw for the stage maintains the ambiguity of the novella and uses theatricality and the skills of two actors to convey the mysteries at the heart of this classic ghost story.
I am not convinced at the wisdom of only using two actors. However, by avoiding realism, the adaptation leave lots of room for thrills and chills aided by the audience's imaginations.
I am not convinced at the wisdom of only using two actors. However, by avoiding realism, the adaptation leave lots of room for thrills and chills aided by the audience's imaginations.
July 21, 2014
Argh and Awesome at the same time. So maddeningly ambiguous!
November 4, 2014
So, so, so hard to read. The writing is probably quite good, but the way people spoke back then...ugh. Too many words for me, and I love words!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews